When he had dismounted, the Governor tied his horse to the long white pole,
raised for that purpose along the sidewalk, and went slowly up the steps,
shaking a dozen outstretched hands before he reached the door.
"What news, gentlemen?" he asked with his pleasant smile. "For two days I
have been beyond the papers."
"Then there's news enough, Governor," responded several voices, uniting in
a common excitement. "There's news enough since Tuesday, and yet we're
waiting here for more. The President has called for troops from Virginia to
invade the South."
"To invade the South," repeated the Governor, paling, and a man behind him
took up the words and said them over with a fine sarcasm, "To invade the
South!"
The Governor turned away and walked to the end of the little porch, where
he stood leaning upon the railing. With his eyes on the blossoming locust
tree, he waited, in helpless patience, for the words to enter into his
thoughts and to readjust his conceptions of the last few months. There
slowly came to him, as he recognized the portentous gravity in the air
about him, something of the significance of that ringing call; and as he
stood there he saw before him the vision of an army led by strangers
against the people of its blood--of an army wasting the soil it loved,
warring for an alien right against the convictions it clung to and the
faith it cherished.
His brow darkened, and he turned with set lips to the group upon the steps.
Pages:
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269